Summary

The SF-180 request I prepared and fed-ex'd for WW II, Army Veterans Benefits Info to National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, MO, received a reply postmarked 17 June 2011. This reply letter, Karen Cooper, Archives Technician (2C) was assigned NPRC Request Number, 1-9497552696, Veteran Frederick Donald Haffner of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Karen's letter stated that a fire had destroyed many records, and thus St. Louis lacked the records required to make a determination of veteran benefits eligibility; NA Form 13038, Certificate of Military Service was enclosed, having been prepared via "an alternate record source". This was provided by me to Elden Good Funeral Home, as proof of Fred's veteran status, in obit preparation (Cincinnati Enquirer; Naples Daily News), et al.
Sadly, the widely loved, forty-two year pediatrician, passed away 4 December 2011 at 3:15 A.M., age ninety two years, without resolution of veterans benefits. Cause: MyeloDysplasia (MDS)> Acute Myeloid Leukemia

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Original 1943-1953 Army Discharge Papers only released post-mortem from Dr. F.D. Haffner's private files

15 Dec 2011
—Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Despite my repeated requests for access to the military papers, during preparation of an extensive Chronology for Dr. Frederick D. Haffner, during 2011, I was only enabled access to his original military files, post mortem, 4 Dec 2011. Dr. Fred Haffner had advised me (first, at a formal Travel Club dinner) that there was some confusion that the federal government couldnt find his service, but I never got to see Karen Cooper's reply letter, et al. (as I wrote about above) during Fred's lifetime; Fred had also told me that his discharge papers were in his safety deposit box, but during his final illness he was perhaps, unable to retrieve them (or perhaps got them at some point during 2011 since he was still driving for some time, and perhaps, put them into his home files, so that one day I could see the same?) Or perhaps his son retrieved them from the safety deposit box in Dec 2011, as executor of the doctor's estate, and then finally released the same after I pointedly showed him Fred's signature at the funeral home on the request form submitted by me to St. Louis....) The sequence here is unclear, so I apologize for the vagueness here in my explantion.

In any event, I now have further proof of Fred Haffner's army service, as of December 15, 2011, and am hoping to discern the best way to reinstate the proper record here. As such, I have entered several of the factual items into the Fact section above, on this new Memorial Page, in progress. His 1943-1944 ASTP service appears to be in addition to his 1946 active service, and his later Army Reserve service (prior to 1953) but I am still deciphering this; I prepared a Chronology with Fred Haffner's ardent help during 2011, so hopefully all the puzzle pieces will fall together here.

1943-1949 F.D. Haffner army documentation scanned-uploaded in part here

I have scanned some of the 1943-1949 papers related to Fred Haffner's service, and I will try to upload some of them here. I am unclear as how to lay out this page, so please be patient with this trial and error. Thank you all!

Although I have worked on the family genealogy for many years, I have been unsuccessful in finding living cousins to Dr. Frederick D. Haffner, over in Munchen or Munich. I tried writing several years ago to the Steuberator Haffner's line (tax counselor was he?....near or in the university), but no contact back was ever received by me, which was so so very sad. Dr. F.D. Haffner always spoke fondly of his blood cousins, who due to geographic distances fought on the other side of WW II from him and was vocal in his anguish over American bomber pilots killing his blood cousin, about his same age.

I am still seeking to find the descendants of this Wolfgang Haffner killed in 1945 (Berlin if I am recalling correctly but I would need to check my notes one day). Fred Haffner said his father, Gustav Haffner and mother Elsa Rothacker Haffner sent them (to one of the Haffners? but definitely to the Oster's/Bohley's?) care packages during WW II, and one woman (wife of a dentist... was she....) kept up contact with them (c1940s+) dear Augusta OSTER, I think was her name -- offhand. I am not looking at my c2006 notes.

Yes, this is the Haffner line written of in a magnificent slim book, written in German, tracing early Haffner lineage...which I first found in Frankfort, in the lovely library at the Goethe Musuem, when I visited there c2005. Thanks again to the librarian there!

I finally tracked down a copy of this book and bought it from a German, Abebooks reseller, a few years ago. As I shared it with Fred, he said that I should hold onto it. Only at Barbara Stevenson Berghausen's sad funeral, 2011, did I hear from a Berghausen cousin, that someone may have an old family copy of this same book. I asked for a scan of the cover page to compare, but have not yet received it yet. Its unfortunate that I did not know of its possible existance many years ago, but genealogy is always a process.

Yes, they all are cousins- Goethe (famous author), Wolfgang, and Fred--the WW I or II wartime aviator ace, dubbed the Red Baron also is related to these three {via SEIP line, offhand.] I never found the German cousins emanating from Fred's great grandfather's first wife (offhand...Marguerite Schwarz-I would have to check my old notes). Fred descended from Ludwig "Louis" Haffner's 2nd wife, Julia Hartmann. I have much research in need of publishing already collected on this family. Ludwig's son, Fred Haffner born 28 April 1849, the immigrant, was the grandfather of Fred the pediatrician.

Nov. 1952, Vice President Alben William Barkley [of KY, Pres. Truman's VP] wrote on behalf of Captain F.D. Haffner, US Army Reserve

See images referring to Captain Frederick D. Haffner, as belonging to the U.S. Army Reserve as of 1952. Flo Bratten's letter was attached to General Armstrong's letter in the envelope from the Office of the Vice President.

See item number 46, on the image entitled "Headquarters, Ohio Military District, Fort Hayes, Columbus 18, Ohio, Special Orders Number 3, Extract VI, 5 January 1955". This image confirms Captain Haffner's discharge as a Reserve Commissioned Officer of the Army, effective 27 May 1953. The back side of this page I also scanned which shows the order by a Colonel Maerdian, but signed by C.T. Morse, 1st Lt AGC, Asst. Adjutant. Other persons are also named on this SO 3, Hq, OMD 5 Jan 1955. Also see related images.

In my Chronology, Fred explained to me about the c1951 timing of when he joined the pediatric practice on Jefferson Avenue, Clifton, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220. Here is a letter dated 1952, with his name on the pediatric doctors' stationary, which letter was sent to the Officer in Charge, Cincinnati O.R.C. Center, Veteran's Administration Hospital, Building 10, Ft. Thomas, Kentucky.

16 Oct 1952, an Order was mailed to Report for Induction, Special Registration No. 1, Selective Service System, by Local Board No. 51, Hamilton Co, 3953 Spring Grove Ave, Cincinnati 45223. Dr. Haffner's reply letter dated 22 Oct 1952 is scanned here explaining that he was already in an active private pediatrics practice. Fred asked for a postponement of a few weeks....

As per Ohio Military District, Special Orders Number 3, Extract II, dated 5 Jan 1955, see item 31 on image scanned here by me. On this item 31, seems to read....Having accepted appointment, the following Officer is assigned to 2119 US Army Reserve Control Gp (Reinf) Ohio, effective on acceptance date, 29 Oct 1952. Other vets' names included here also.

1946, NPRC's USA Certificate of Military Service (2011) for First Lt. F.D. Haffner

This is NA Form 13038 dated 15 Jun 2011. See image enclosed with Karen Cooper's 2011 letter, of which I ordered two copies with my initial request (during Fred Haffner's lifetime, with his full cooperation and assistance, and signature, while he was vital). Yes the official seal is here and present, and as such this should be valid as verification of FDH's military service.

Chronology Pictures Identified by Fred the pediatrician, c2008

Here are several of the pictures Fred identified for me, which I then included in one of the two 100 pages each, picture books (two Apple Mac Iphoto books, of which I printed a few versions of each of the two different books) which I made for him following his lovely 90th birthday celebration thrown by his lovely wife.

Correction--Cannot find way to edit the picture data--have to change year of pic with George Knauer to 1944--am not sure if captions are locked in ...hmmm...Problem. My earlier caption stated--1944 - At Cornell Univ. & Medical College (CUMC), New York Hospital, New York City, NY

1966, Gustav Jacob Haffner and wife, Elsa Rothacker Haffner both die

Dr. Frederick D. Haffner, M.D. (1919/2011) was the only child of his parents, Elsa Rothacker Haffner and her husband, Gustav Jacob Haffner. Both parents died the same year, 1966.

There are some two f, Haffner's in Cincinnati who are cousins of Fred, even though Gustav Jacob Haffner had zero brothers (two sisters, one a full sister and one a half sister). These cousins descend from brothers of Gustav's father, also named Fred Haffner, the immigrant. Descendants exist for Fred's brother, Jacob, and for Fred's brother, Christian, residing in Cincinnati.

1883, Gustav Jacob Haffner (father of Fred the pediatrician) born

Gustav Jacob Haffner was called "Gus". Gus, a tanner continued the family's tannery business. Haffner, the eagle, has survived over the years, which eagle used to rule the roof of the very large tannery building (which sat at the physical location now occupied by the Hopple Street Exit ramp when going south on Interstate 75 near Cumminsville/Clifton).

But the mysteries concerning Gus' mother lie unresolved, although I have accumulated many of the puzzle pieces. Does anyone know more about her? She was also the mother of Caroline Haffner, wife of Walter Beck (car dealer of Toledo, Ohio area, if I am recalling correctly). This Aunt Caroline Beck left no issue, and left items in her Will to the Haffner family (which Will I pulled in Toledo several years ago). There was one female named in Aunt Caroline's will, who I never placed, but it was not a significant bequest (i.e. caregiver, neighbor, friend), although I had hoped to find a tie to Caroline and Gus' biological mother.

Again, I already possess a lot of info on Gus and Caroline's biological mother--I call her Mary/Maria Dotzauer/Dozauer-- but years ago, writing with the other Cincinnati Dotzauer lines (with one family being tanners also), using the censuses, visiting the cemetery plot, finding the marriage record, pulling newspaper microfilm, and writing helpful cousins--still didn't provide answers to a few questions...the phrases "foster mother" left me unsettled as to whether Maria/Mary was born a Dotzauer, or was taken in to be raised by one of the Dotzauer households. But yes, she did marry using this surname.

Mary/Maria Dotzauer Haffner (not Hoffner with an o) left Cincinnati, it seems, when her two children were young (about seven/eight yrs of age was it...) --but I dont know if she returned or not-- and so, she is a missing puzzle piece. Yes, they separated and then divorced, and the related court orders relating to the custody of the children seem to have caused significant problems... (he got sole custody I believe-no shared parenting back then, c1890) - Yes, she was much younger (was she born circa 1861...) than her husband, Fred the immigrant (born 1849)- Yes, I have many clues, but not enough to find her. She perhaps remarried at some point, and perhaps resided in northern Ohio or southern Michigan...Fred the pediatrician told me that he thought that she probably kept up with her daughter Caroline Haffner Beck...She dated at some point a policeman named Klein, or Kline, and - perhaps- he may have lived on "Rohs Hill" in Cincinnati, but I have not traced this possible clue. Perhaps I am seeking a Maria Kline or Mary Kline or ...this is speculation.

1849, Immigrant, Fred Haffner born Asselheim, Gruenstadt, Bavaria

The immigrant, Fred Haffner, a leather tanner, born 1849, was the paternal grandfather of the pediatrician, Fred Haffner (1919/2011). The attached papers from his (the leather tanner) Passport Application [sourced from fold3/footnote's collections] contain further reiterative proof, consistent with my hard fought findings from my research trip both in Gruenstadt, Germany (where the mayor was wonderfully helpful to me, c2005/06!) and in Cincinnati, Ohio USA. Wish I had seen this Passport Application years ago!

It may be that his (Fred Haffner, the immigrant) was the birth record missing from Grunstadt files, but I would have to check my binders for the letter on this matter. At one point, I think I found a census record (from daughter, Caroline Haffner Beck, near Toledo Ohio which indicated Berlin (the city) as the specified place/ country of birth of her father (i.e. Fred)-- this I never did resolve). Berlin had been raised (by Fred the pediatrician) as a death location for cousin, Wolfgang Haffner, during World War II bombings, but I had not heard of it as a place of birth/residence...

Haffner heritage recorded via microfilm at the LDS repository, Utah, which I used many years ago, consistently would point to the village of Asselheim, which lies adjacent to Gruenstadt/Grunstadt as being the historic home for centuries of this Haffner line. At some point the village of Asselheim got merged into the nearby larger city of Grunstadt, but the correct location would be Asselheim bei Gruenstadt, where I visited the family's old tannery location (with the chemical vat location cordoned off by a metal, tall fence as of c2005 to preclude foot traffic- this at a cul de sac, with the wonderful winery across from this high fenced area, c2005). Yes, the winery owners' family also descends down one Haffner line- go visit their tasting room! Yes the Haffner family of immigrants brought their leather working skills from Asselheim, the old country into say, Cumminsville, Camp Washington, Over the Rhine, West End - area of present day Cincinnati. Remember that Central Parkway was a canal of water, and that the numerous pig slaughterhouses generated plenty of animal hides to tan.

If I am recalling correctly, the important book traced down to Uncle Frank Haffner, born c1839- offhand. Uncle Frank Haffner left no issue, but took care and lived with his extended family members near Colerain/Hamilton roads was it..., over near the ravaged old cemetery (with some embezzlement type issues), Cincinnati. He left an extensive will, c1922 offhand, which named and left money, etc. to extended family members and generously left funds to many organizations as well. His last will and testament names family members living in Europe who never emigrated, and this is primary proof of the tie between the families as also set forth in the important book...

There was a younger female family member (say a niece...) who came over from Germany to take care of, and live in, Uncle Frank's household. This was the branch of the family family tied to Elsa Julia Everley/Everly, oldest living Cincinnatian, c2008-2010, Marilyn Moore Hall, and Monte Hall. Even after the younger woman (housekeeper and blood relation) married, they all still lived together at Uncle Frank's house/their house. Named __________________ she surely is in the family photo somewhere--could this woman be her or....

I phoned Marilyn just now, still in great health in Kaysville who said that her grandmother didnt wear the color black (she wore more festive colors) and that she would have been younger, c1920--but Marilyn said she would look in her box of pictures...but maybe we are off a generation here.

Glancing at Uncle Frank's will shows many provisions for the Bangert family. So perhaps the unnamed woman is the sister (of Fred, Jacob, Christian, Uncle Frank, etc) named Magdalena or Lena for short. Lena Haffner Bangert also resided in Cincinnati. I have a younger picture of Lena, which should be compared with this older one.

Just added the picture of six Haffner siblings...so the question here is whether Lena Haffner in the Six Haffner Siblings picture, is the unknown woman, _________________, in the family grouping photo.

Or is this where the "Aunt Cate" arose whom Fred would recall... He believed that I had Aunt Cate/Kate entwined somehow with the woman, Lena Haffner Bangert. Lena had married a catholic fellow, which apparently caused some religious family strife. Let's see, in my papers, I note that Catherine LaBroisse Hardung (wife of Robert Hardung--not Harding) died 1924 [OH Death Certif 3436, Hamilton Co OH]-- so perhaps "Aunt Cate" was her -- 4303 Hamilton Ave- So, it may be her pictured here...Anna Haffner was "Aunt Cate's mother, wife of Charles LaBroisse [OH Death Certif for Catherine Hardung]-- so this Anna was a full sister to Uncle Frank Haffner. Anna did not emigrate to USA (she had died in Europe before her abt teenage daughter came to USA).

The Hardung surname was German, derived from Hartung. One year the Cinti Enq newspaper printed the name as Harding, which is a definite error. The German t's often became Americanized d's in the middle of surnames.

Emma Lange, 2nd wife of immigrant, Fred Haffner, was grandmother to all

Here is a picture of Emma Lange, the second wife of immigrant, Fred Haffner. It was Emma, who raised the three kids (Caroline, Gustav, Pauline), and who was the beloved grandmother to the next generation.